Edamame and walnuts combine to create a pretty, delicious spread for your favorite bread or cracker. There are several ways to treat the walnuts—choose raw, soaked or toasted, depending on your flavor and texture preferences.

Preparation

You can make the walnut butter using raw, soaked or toasted walnuts. Here’s how to do all 3, and why they’re different:

Raw Walnuts: Use raw walnuts for a very creamy and smooth texture that tastes like a just-shelled walnut.

Soaked Walnuts: This method will remove some of the tannin from the walnut skin and create a more textured walnut butter. Soak walnuts overnight, drain and discard the water. Then toast the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for up to 15 minutes to dry them out (make sure not to let them get dark). Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.

Toasted Walnuts: To enhance the sweet, nutty flavor of the walnuts, toast them before making them into butter. Walnut butter with toasted walnuts will provide a coarse-textured finished product. Toast walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.

To make the walnut butter, place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and grind them until they become sticky or paste-like. Add the salt. Add the oil, a little bit at a time, until the walnut butter binds together. If you like, add a small amount of honey and/or cinnamon, to taste.  

To make the hummus, place the edamame, cayenne, garlic, walnut butter and lemon zest in a food processor. Pulse to chop the edamame. Slowly add the water and continue to puree for 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Slowly add in the olive oil and process until smooth. Press through a mesh strainer with a rubber spatula and season with salt, to taste.

*Note: Blanch edamame until tender but still green, about 1½–2 minutes. This will make for a creamier final result.